typing. “Done.” Her smile was a little more devilish than I had seen. “I don’t want to be the meanie, but this is your first day home, and draining all your energy isn’t going to help you heal.”
“You can cancel my mother if you’d like.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s where I draw the line. In my line of work, moms can be scary.”
“And you’re saying mine is?”
She put her hands in the air, like I was aiming a gun at her. “I plead the Fifth.”
I laughed, the feeling almost foreign since it had been so long.
My mother was the glue that held our company together—smarter than anyone I knew and ruthless when she needed to be.
“Where do you think I get it from?”
“I wouldn’t describe you that way at all.”
“You haven’t seen me at the office.”
She took out her notebook again, flipping it around when she was done writing.
“Work enough hours that your scary side comes through,” I read, glancing up at her. “Sounds like another unattainable goal.”
“Nothing is unattainable—you’re going to learn that very soon.” She gathered her dark hair and hung it over her shoulder, where the ends were flirting with her tit.
Fuck me.
“You’re also going to learn, I have a scary side too,” she said. “And you’re going to see it if you keep telling me you’re not hungry. Three meals a day and snacks in between—no exception. I need you as strong as possible to fight this. So, what are you in the mood for?”
I was in too much pain to be hungry. “How about a milkshake?”
“Google can help me accomplish that, hopefully.” She walked toward the door, turning toward me, beaming, before she reached it. “But I just have to say, dessert for breakfast is a style I fully support.”
Once she left, I found my cell on the nightstand, imagining the texts my colleagues and assistant had sent when Whitney canceled on them. There were so many; I didn’t have it in me to go through each one, but a message from Smith caught my attention.
Smith: What’s up? No dinner? Everything all right?
Me: All good, man. Whitney just wants me to take it easy today.
Smith: Can I swing by tomorrow?
Me: You’ll have to clear it with the boss first, lol.
Smith: Damn.
Smith: If she gives a good sponge bath, let her know I’m single.
Me: Not a fucking chance.
Smith: Ahhh, the truth finally comes out. I had a feeling anyway. Joe told me he met her when he came by the hospital last night, said she’s sexy as hell.
Me: She’s a hell of a lot more than that.
“Oreo or strawberry cheesecake?” Whitney asked from the doorway.
I looked up from my phone, feeling the heat of her eyes as she held a pint of each flavor in her hands. “You know the answer to that.”
She grinned. “I brought some cookies from that delicious bakery. Do you want one to go with it?”
“I don’t think I can turn down that offer.”
As she walked out, the long shirt hid her ass, but hints of her legs were teasing me. I watched until she disappeared and then glanced back at my phone.
Smith: I’ll reach out to the boss and ask about tomorrow. Be a good patient today … unless you’re hoping for a punishment.
Me: You know me too fucking well.
Seven
“Are you ready to take a shower?” Whitney asked as she walked into my room the next morning. Before I even answered, she was already fetching the wheelchair and rolling it next to the bed. “Since you were too tired to do one yesterday afternoon, I thought we should do it first thing today.”
I wanted her soapy hands on my body again, but as I stared at the blue vinyl seat—a contraption that made every bone ache—I feared this would be my future, and my anger boiled as loudly as my nerves. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Remember how you felt after I bathed you in the hospital? This will feel even better.”
Now that I was back in my own bed, I’d thought sleep would make me feel that way last night. Not even a top-of-the-line mattress could get me comfortable, and I hadn’t shut my eyes for more than a few hours.
“You don’t even have to get out of the wheelchair,” she said. “Your shower door is wide enough for us to fit right through.” Her hand rubbed my shoulder, using it to drive home her point. “I know sitting is your least favorite position. I promise it’ll be quick.”
I